DEALING A STRONG MESSAGE

Many people talk about zero tolerance toward illegal drugs.

But Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger backed up the tough talk with
muscle this week when his deputies rounded up 24 students and seven adults
suspected of drug dealing and other criminal activity at two high schools.

The arrests capped a seven-month investigation during which youthful-looking
undercover deputies posed as students at Seminole and Oviedo high schools.

That unorthodox tactic -- assigning undercover agents to spend months in a
high school -- was warranted. Because the law requires children to attend
school, authorities have a responsibility to make sure that campuses are
safe.

Drug-dealing and other illegal activities create an atmosphere of danger
within schools, putting students at risk. And that type of atmosphere
interferes with the education of law-abiding students.

Sometimes law-abiding students are reluctant to tell authorities about peers
involved in drug-dealing. In such situations, an undercover operation may be
the only effective method of stopping the dealing and making arrests.

Parents of the suspects -- and all families with schoolchildren -- should
consider those arrests a wake-up call. The students arrested cut across all
demographic lines, showing that no household is immune. The battle against
illegal drugs must start at home with parents who are caring and vigilant.

Unfortunately, the parents of some of those arrested seem not to get it.
They're complaining about police tactics when they should be concerned about
how their children came to be suspected of drug-dealing.

Those who deal drugs at school -- or anywhere else -- must be held
responsible. All students know that abuse of drugs is illegal -- not to
mention unhealthy and unsafe. Starting in the first grade, all students are
bombarded with messages and programs urging them to stay away from illegal
drugs, including marijuana. Those who ignore those warnings should be
prepared to face their punishment.

The Seminole County roundup illustrates the brazenness of drug dealers.
Twice before Mr. Eslinger ordered similar undercover operations at other
schools, which also resulted in arrests.

No one should assume that the sheriff's operation ended drug-dealing in
Seminole County schools. But the arrests will give teen dealers and their
customers something to think about: Could there be a set of handcuffs and a
jail cell in their future?